This adventure is designed for a cyberpunk or near-future dystopia kind of setting, but could certainly be adapted to almost any genre with a bit of work. Instead of an arcology, maybe it’s a village the local lord has abandoned. Maybe it’s a neighbourhood in a city in an ungoverned space.
The basic premise is one that has been seen throughout history—when the authorities decide not to resource civil order in an area, someone ultimately arises to impose it. Those that arise as alternative providers of civil order are either criminal organization or they evolve into one. It then becomes really difficult of state authorities to then reassert power over the area, if they ever try. The areas have often become heavily criminalized with extreme sanctions for those cooperating with the authorities.
The adventure works best if the region is one the PCs know well through previous interaction. It might be the location of a safehouse, or perhaps an informant or other ally that has helped the PCs previously. A situation like this might end up feeling like a status quo the PCs do not consider shifting or that the PCs do not need to address. I mean injustice and oppression is everywhere, right?
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